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9/17/2010 9:27AM

News Hub: Tech Firms Near Deal in Hiring Probe

Several of the U.S.'s largest technology companies are in advanced talks with the Justice Department to avoid a court battle over whether they colluded to hold down wages by agreeing not to poach each other's employees. Thomas Catan has details.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Gou ... the ... now from Washington ... I understand Thomas Several the largest U S tech companies are trying to avoid a court battle settling up with the Justice Department on this ... question of whether they colluded to pull down wages and agree not to poach each other's employee ... yes that's right I mean when the stand in the final stages of negotiations ... on you know has always been over to gravity saying so this could fall apart but that ... would be another powerful reason for both sides to ... the saddle and when we think ... it's an incident likely to happen around the city ... we're talking about it they can companies here will Apple Intel I Disney's Pixar unit in Silicom Valley is for famously known for its opening collaborative style that this would seem to suggest that the companies ... are worried about employees you may be carried a price for information from one coming to the next match and I think certainly that's what they say I in their defence cracked ... write to Min the spoken out publicly about a bow with a Buy due to the Justice Department does not look ... you know we are to wed to gather in ... collaboration with the ultimate benefit ... the consumer ... do we need to have some assurance that you know when open expose them with valuable employees to go to consume away ... of adjustes by will say that ... you know to what the that's fine but these agreements Khan cover everyone ... so you know because I've spoken Middleton unit with one comfort to the other well and improve their pay and conditions ... yet I think that that certainty was that if if this ends up in court the ticket but it could pave the way for private claimants ... AB class action lawsuits attend vacancies company said that is why they're there ... they're preferred the last option at this point would be to settle with the Department justice ... yes I mean well this is this is the state to everyone hangs tough and threatens to if they don't even call it ... but essentially to justify maintenance the tough anti trust case for them to win this moment additional on a price fixing case ... time ... to spend up to the company is in no position in the last and cooler ... than would also be a problem because ... the private litigants can show that done no judgment and ... and and basically you know claim damages ... because a class action suit in wells of Atlanta with that yet comes as the bill a credible argument that consumers will be harmed if ... we allow ... a little more of vibrancy in the job market is ... really with are saying ... I'm so the company's main on other consumer will be harmed ... no idea what the Justice Department is saying is that I mean that's Mulva because to be haunted of the weapons the people what companies ... are ultimately time to time when one is to be the free movement of up ... to what this blog on the other one headhunters deal with them and put your ... best executives employees ... by without some sort of agreements between companies that pay ... to keep the hands of mind of the plan to fuel its gas from its base lot really presale ... to rise it has even managed to get something out I'm between them ... Dennis hot topics due ... to ... Sts ...